In a conscious effort to move towards a greener planet, entrepreneurs, engineers, scholars, creators, and others strive to look for greener solutions for carbon-intensive problems. It is this pursuit for alternatives that drives most sustainability initiatives and programmes which combine solutions within a regulated, carbon-free threshold.
As global temperatures rise to warn about the ramifications of climate change and unregulated carbon emissions, realizing such sustainability initiatives into full-fledged projects has become the need of the hour. As the world comes together to hold climate change at bay, it can help to look at the fundamentals of sustainability and why it is the foundation for tomorrow.
What is Sustainability?
Working with an understanding that resources available on the planet are finite, sustainability is a lifestyle that believes in utilizing these resources in the most conscious, economical and balanced way possible.
Sustainability is born out of necessity to adopt less carbon-intensive and degradable goods and services, where the alternatives are better for the environment. Sustainability practices thrive on practices that value environmental health, economic vitality and social equity.
The fundamental goal of sustainability and sustainability initiatives is to build communities that are able to fulfil their needs of the present without jeopardizing the resources for those in the future.
Since climate change and global warming have brought the finite nature of all resources to the fore, sustainability initiatives became a reaction. These initiatives work from existing resources and problems in nature and design them into becoming solutions for another system.
For example, face masks which have been used in the trillions ever since the onset of the pandemic, have been adapted into sustainable infrastructure with an added benefit of durability.
Sustainability Initiatives
The far-reaching effects of global warming have made the need for an overhaul in environmental policies and carbon-dependent lifestyles glaringly apparent. Sustainability initiatives are a few of the spaces that combine ideas and bring tangible results for the foreseeable future.
The solutions offered by sustainability initiatives are often long-term or in their testing stages, but with the right technological and logistical support, they can morph into the foundation for green power and cleaner energy for future generations. Some of the best Sustainability initiatives can be seen below:
1. Entering into a consortium with beverage giant PepsiCo, Diageo will develop a fully 100% biodegradable, plastic-free bottle that is made out of the wood pulp. The wood pulp is sustainably sourced, and the bottle will be recyclable and available with PepsiCo non-alcoholic beverages.
2. Another sustainability initiative that combines infrastructure and energy creation, Solar glass, is a reality. It is glass that is developed to be a part of sustainable building photovoltaics, which replaces standard materials like skylights and roofs to generate power on their own.
3. Made from plant-based waste, VeganBottle is a replacement for single-use, plastic water bottles what that are non-biodegradable. The bottle is made from sugarcane and synthesized into a bio-plastic that can be used for packaging water or other beverages while being fully recyclable.
4. Makers of candy like Skittles, Mars Wrigley has worked with biopolymer manufacturers Danimer Scientific to create biodegradable candy wrappers for their products. The goal is to create a wrapper made from soy seeds and canola oil which can allow the wrapper to degrade into the environment and turn into compost effectively.
5. Goods and delivery service Waitrose has their delivery truck fleet run on food-waste fuel. The trucks are powered by fuel made from food scraps from their own stores, which is less expensive than regular diesel.
Sustainability initiatives, therefore, are an effective means of turning a new leaf towards greener lifestyles and products. Consumers ought to be conscious of the service providers they work with and ensure they carry certification or a pledge to turn carbon-neutral for the growth of a better tomorrow.
